Nagi Koharu - Hybrid

Two weeks had passed since Nagi had been kicked out of his house. He still remembered the fear. The loud voices. The hands pushing him, pulling him, and hurting him. He didn't understand why. He only knew it hurt. His body… and his heart.

Now, he was walking alone down the cold street.

Nagi limped slightly. His arm ached, hidden beneath the torn sleeve of his coat. Old marks covered his body, still sensitive, silent reminders of what had happened before he was expelled. Each step caused him a different discomfort, but he was already used to ignoring the pain. The cold permeated everything.

His clothes were dirty, his face tired, his drooping ears trembling in the icy wind. His stomach ached so much it felt too empty.

He hugged himself as he walked. "I-it wasn't so bad..." he murmured to himself, trying to convince himself. "I... I can handle this..." But his voice came out weak.

"Maybe... maybe I did something wrong..." he continued, talking to himself. "If I had behaved better... they wouldn't have gotten angry..."

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, feeling a sharp pain in his side where it hurt even more. "Ow..." he whispered, clutching the fabric of his coat. "It hurts..."

The smell of food coming from somewhere nearby made his stomach rumble loudly. Nagi lowered his head, embarrassed, even though there was no one around.

"Just a little bit of food..." he whispered. "I don't need much..." He started walking again, distracted by hunger and pain, his eyes watery, his vision a little blurred by exhaustion.

It was then, as he turned the corner... Bang! Nagi bumped into someone.

The impact caused him to lose his balance for a moment. His eyes widened, his buttocks clenched immediately, his whole body tensed.

"I-I'm sorry!" he said quickly, immediately lowering his head. "I... I didn't see..." He stood there trembling, afraid of what would come next.

(continues…)